I Want To Believe In Aliens
by ClassicEye
Summary: Everyone knows that crazy kid from middle school. It wasn't long before he did something really crazy that got himself locked up. When he got out, he was "cured." But sure enough, old friends came knocking at his door. Can he still pretend to not believe? And what about the fate of the universe and planet earth? /forum/I-want-to-believe-In-Aliens/122836/
1. Introduction: The Alien In My Class

**Introduction:**

Dib was an alien like boy; he had a noticeably large head and a thin body. He was estranged in a world which didn't seem to follow his brand of logic or sense of self-preservation. He couldn't understand the world, mainly others in it; but even though he was always the odd one out, he had dreams of saving the world from immanent devastation. Oh how they'd cheer and celebrate, name a city after him even… or perhaps not laugh at him. One day, he'd be recognized.

His father was recognized "The Great Professor Membrane." But his father was always away discovering new and more important things than one lone boy. Even when he was around, there was a looming shame Dib felt twist inside his stomach, a let-down in the overcast of great expectations. He was smart, smarter than some of the men working for his father, yet… he pursued "foolish" studies like the paranormal. Maybe Dib was searching for a place that he'd finally fit in, or for a friend of the same mental wave length, but whatever the reason Dib had to relentlessly believe in his "myths" and "stories," to his father and everyone else he knew, Dib was crazy.

The irony of this story is that Dib had actual proof of the paranormal, but nobody believes a crazy man, and so Dib became more and more "crazy" as he tried to justify himself with greater and greater enthusiasm. He collected proof of aliens and monsters in his room like a desperate mad man with a beautiful mind. When he was eleven, his fixation grew exponentially, he ranted and raged about one of his classmates being one of the aliens he was so determined to reveal. He was right about the alien in class of course, but he was far too "crazy" and "just a child," nothing to be listened to. So the evidence and the truth crawled on its belly over and between the groves and crevices of Dibs brain, gnawing at him to be freed. Why, why didn't anyone believe him? He had proof, but… How, how could they not see, it was so obvious! He would never be recognized, would he? He was alone in his head, with the truth eating away at him, as the alien classmate planned to destroy everything he knew and loved.

Most children these days would curl up and call it quits, but Dib stiffened his lip and put the safety of the world on his shoulders. He'd save the world, not for the praise or glory, but because he wanted to save his home. He foiled many and many more of the alien's plans, of "Zim's" plans, and through this, there was a strange bond. His thoughts of loneliness and un-recognition were replaced with Zim- foiling his plans and stopping him before it was too late. As his obsession changed from the general paranormal, to revealing Zim for the alien invader he was, there came another change. The rotten thrill of seeing Zim scared, seeing Zim in pain- an act that made him feel justified for all the torment Zim and his kind had given him by not being "real," for how alone he felt among his own kind when an alien invader could blend in so horribly and yet so well.

Now Dib wasn't a violent kid, he was mad, frustrated, and he took that out on Zim, the REAL "outsider." Dib wasn't the weird one, it was Zim, and yet, Dib was still the one being laughed at and ostracized. His bullying of Zim, a "perfectly normal human child," was always uncalled for in the eyes of the other students, it was always without reason, though Zim would encourage Dib. Eventually, Dib was sent to the councilor's office. The problem had gone on long enough.

Mr Dwicky, the new councilor, was never announced, nor the departure of the old councilor before him. He had a strange shiftiness in his eyes, his tie was wrinkled, his dark hair was freely combed out to the sides and parted down the center. He looked normal over all though, but the large smile on his face told Dib he was in line to interact with yet another human he wouldn't understand, nor someone who would understand him. Little did Dib know, that this was the beginning of yet another extra abnormal friendship.


	2. Chapter 1: Ironic Clarity

**Chapter 1:**

Broken. It didn't take long to break that young boy in the introduction. He spent some time in the mental hospital, 3 years in and out, watching nothing but re-runs of reality television to numb his "overactive imagination," but the real cause of Dib's change, was his father.

In an attempt to foil one of Zim's not-so-notorious plans to blow up the earth, half their school was demolished. It was blamed solely on Dib with one pointing finger from Zim, innocent as ever. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Dib started hurting others with something REALLY crazy, so Dib never even got a chance to rectify himself. They were all just glad it wasn't a shooting like all the other crazy children did, but it couldn't be ignored either way. He was bound with a long sleeved jacket and tossed into and expensive padded room. All Dib could think about was Zim, Zim and that look on his father's face "Where did I go wrong?" His mind drifted back to Mr Dwicky. The one man who knew the truth. He hated him. Dib grew to hate everyone. For not believing him, for silencing him, for being stupid, so very, very stupid.

As the days went by, and his time-out soon became an obvious prison, Dib realized if he was removed from life, there wouldn't be anything significantly changed. Zim would never take over the world, even without him around to foil his plans, the children at school wouldn't come by or even miss him, his sister's life would go on as every other day, and his father would always be too busy for him. He was back to being alone, but he was really alone now, even the doctors didn't check up on him too much, Dib was simply, "crazy," and had to be locked up until he wasn't.

His realization sent him through depression and then, sedation. There was nothing for him, no purpose to his futile dream of saving the world from the nonexistent, imminent devastation. When the doctors caught on to the lack of screaming from his "room" they re-evaluated him and sent him home, where he gave up the paranormal and started working with his father. "Happy" was a muted word and a dull smile. His distant and somber mannerisms, painted a mysterious allure on Dib. When he returned to school, he was in his junior year of high school by then, he became more popular then he'd ever dreamed, but it seemed unfulfilling. All the girls wanted to know what had happened to him, the now cool aloof Dib who didn't seem to care about anything. They wanted to know if he still believed in aliens or not. He always answered the same "I don't believe in aliens, if there were aliens here on earth, they would have taken over by now." It was a half hearted answer he really wanted to believe. But he didn't want to be "crazy" anymore. He wanted to be like his father, to do something meaningful to others.

All the while Zim boiled. "They would have taken over by now? I am ZIM! I am just… working on something good." Zim had nothing. Dib's absence from class had a surprisingly strong effect on the classroom, "peaceful" and "boring." And so, Zim became "peaceful" and "boring" without Dib's constant hostility sharpening Zim's survive and invade qualities. But now! Now Zim had Dib back and all would be fixed, only… Dib wasn't chasing him anymore… And this troubled Zim a great deal. "He must think I've lost my stuff. Well! We will see who has lost!... His Stuff!"

As hard as Zim tried to get Dib's attention, nothing seemed to work. In fact, as hard as anyone tried to get Dib's attention, nothing seemed to work. Dib was lost somewhere deep inside himself, always doodling new ideas to work on in his father's lab, something that would make his father more proud of him, make everyone more proud of him. No girl, or Zim for that matter, ever reached him.


	3. Chapter 2: Confusion

**Chapter 2:**

Instead of the normal notes and doodles exemplified by Dib's peers, Dib's note book was littered with formulas and rough illustrations of chemical bonds. Because of his father, and who they were, the school never reprimanded Dib like it use to, and even though he was still "strange," an outsider, somehow it was like he was "inside," and everyone, even Zim, was looking in. The notion vexed Dib with irony, but he was far too distorted to pay it mind. Day in and day out, he poured himself into his discoveries. He was "recovered" now. He couldn't relapse and go back to the scorn, the disappointment of his past self.

Late one night a star above Dib twinkled brightly. It shown through his blinds and for an odd reason, Dib couldn't sleep. He kept opening his shut and slumber ready eyes, and tossing and turning in his bed. He wanted to sleep, to ignore the astral light pollution from the stair outside his window and a billion light years away, the star that he, until recently, never seemed to notice.

"That's strange; I would have noticed a star like that before. It can't be new, can it?" Dib slung his arm over to his nightstand and felt around for his glasses like a lame chore. Fatigue and daze clouded his foggy and unrestrained mind, which was giving way to old habits and practices. He got dressed, put on his boots, and broke out his telescope. He then lugged it to the roof and set it up and finally looked at the star, but when he looked through it, He didn't see a star at all.

"What… is that thing?"

Dib dashed back into his room and retrieved his radio scanner. He brought it back to the roof and opened the frequency receiver. It's aim was right for that "star." Dib felt a swell of giddy joy inside him, he was on the rim of thrill and excitement, but somehow, this all felt too wrong. Dib kept his headphones on and went back to the telescope to get a better look at his discovery, but where there once were two bright lights, there was darkness. The star was gone, and the radio scanner was picking up a big nothing.

"Oh, that's right… Aliens don't exist remember? And even if they did…. What's the point?" Defeated by his old habits, Dib lamely gathered his tools and took them to the curb in front of his house. Though it pained him a great deal, Dib wanted to forget and move on from his past. He was happy now. He was sure of it.

When the next day came, Dib woke up feeling tired. He didn't get any good sleep at all, and through the first half of school, was in an unresponsive daze. He wasn't really thinking of anything, more of a stare like trance in a no-particular direction. He noticed trees and birds, the way the wind pushed scraps of trash across the side walk and lawn, but he didn't really notice anything. The only thing that rang through to him was the familiar ring of the lunch bell which brought about the conditioned response of getting up and heading out of the class to eat.

When Dib was younger, he ate with his sister, because he had no other friends, and when she wouldn't have his company, he ate alone in privet to escape the torment of the cruel children who picked on the weak stragglers of society. Now on the other hand, Dib ate alone to avoid the fake company of his peers. If they got to know him, they would find out his secret and lock him up again. To a point, it was even worse now, because now… he had their admiration… his father's pride. To lose that, would be more of a crush than to never have had it to begin with.

So there Dib was, hidden in the boiler room eating the science-infused lunch his father crafted for him with pride and affection, and all he could think about was that star.

"There you are you anabolic gut monster. Chewing away are we?" The high pitch voice cut through Dib's dilemma filled thoughts like a shot gun. Scared, and relieved, Dib immediately knew who it was.

"Really, you haven't gone through puberty yet? Stop deflating birthday balloons will y'a?"

Zim stammered, Dib acknowledged him. He could already feel his invader skills coming back to him. "Zim will take all your birthday ball-oons. You will have none! When I rule this filthy planet you will see my "puberty" grow like nothing before!"

"Go away, I'm eating. Don't you think it's time to give up that stupid game? I did. You're a joke Zim, YOU'RE NOT AND INVADER. You've never even come close. I feel so sorry for you. You just can't move on." Something about Zim made Dib mad. Mad with himself and everything. It was what Zim represented, the part of Dib that wanted to believe. The part of Dib he wanted completely dead to himself, he couldn't even look at him.


	4. Chapter 3: I Lost Track Of You

**Chapter 3: I Lost Track Of You**

It was at that point Zim's shallow hopes plummeted. The Dib child was not only right, but still not interested in stopping him.

"Oh silly Dib, I've already taken over the earth. My plans have already seeded into the HORRIBLE underground of the school. Slow and steady winds the race after all. I thought you might want to know, I want to see your face once you realize how wrong you are." What a bold faced lie that was, but Dib wouldn't know that, and sure enough, Zim caught a gasp in the aloof boy's eyes.

Dib's internal façade broke. 'No! No, how could I have been so stupid! Of course Zim was planning something! What if it really is too late!?' Frozen for only a moment, Dib finally turned to Zim.

[Zim _was_ a short alien like child with green skin and missing ears. An alien in a poor human skin. In their earlier episodes together, Dib screamed and hollered to braked through the ignorance keeping Zim's poor costume together. In Dib's absence, Zim was more focused on Dib's lingering words and took the criticism to better himself. The taunting of children, the bombardment of teen culture, and its aspect of "fan-fiction's heartthrobs" such as in 50 Shades of Gray, Twilight, and just about every other cliché romance story or movie featuring a desirable male, had a horrifyingly stunning effect on Zim's human facade.] During a desperate stretch at another great and ingenious plan to take over the world, Zim ordered his computer to compiled the most average teenage male appearance, that he might blend in and take revenge of a so called "Popular Girl Debby," who called him weird one day at lunch, and take over the world by… well, he hadn't really worked that part out.

When Dib turned to look at Zim, the wind was pulled out of him. He couldn't tell if he was just impressed, or about to slip into a laughing coma. His cheeks tinted, and whatever witty remark he was about to say, his mouth was just left open.

"You're right to be impressed, stupid Dib. FOR I HAVE EAR NOW TOO!" Zim pointed his hand up in the air triumphantly. His ears were always cold, but a good disguise was important, and it made him feel pretty, less pretty than his normal look, but the humans reciprocated his ego better this way.

Dib was still in shock. "You.." He set his food down and walked over to touch Zim's ears. "…actually…" Dib wanted to know, know what the skin on Zim's body was made of, it looked so real, was he really crazy as a child? "No, you had green skin… I know you did, and these… these aren't real…"

"Oh, they are VERY real! I have nipples and everything!" Zim exclaimed, yes, this was all part of his plan, not to get back at Debby, but to, in the future, help Dib help himself… himself being Zim of course, take over the world. Any minute, now Dib would come to his senses, yell, and they'd be at it again. But as Zim waited for his enemies' high pitched scream of desperation, which he so longed to remember, there was nothing, and Dib, returned to his lunch. "You're not an alien Zim. And I'm not going to stop you if you want to do something crazy, they'll catch you and lock you up like they did me. I'm cured, but you… you need help. I have more important things to do for my planet than play with you. Work on that voice of yours though; it doesn't fit your body."

"Doesn't fit my body? I am ZIM!" Zim's voice was sharp and defined. It was as specific as a thumbprint, a vocal quirk, and an unpleasant one at that. Dib's shoulders jetted upwards as Zim's voice spiked. Zim, as always, never seemed to notice this occasional reaction.

"But perhaps you may be right stupid human grub. The awesomeness of the voice that is Zim's maybe too incompatible for your eyeball receivers. When I destroy you, you must see me laughing! Ahahah!" With a crazed laugh, Zim turned to leave. He was just as weird as ever. More so than how Dib as remembered him, but at least he was alone now.

Dib poked at his food, but couldn't stop thinking about things. "Damn it." He cursed gritting his teeth. There were too many unanswered questions. He was losing it. What if Zim was telling the truth? What if there was something under the school, what was his skin made of? Did he murder someone? Was coming back a good idea, was he crazy, and Zim was just a delusional boy making things worse? What was true and what was a lie? And… And… was last night just a dream? Did he see what he thought he saw? No… No, it was all a lie, Zim was a crazy kid, he never had green skin, there's nothing under the school, and last night… was just a relapse into insanity.

Before Dib realized, his hands were shaking, he couldn't eat. It was if his whole body was fighting him, breaking down as his self-forced "maturity" became more and more resolved.

"FUCK!" Dib yelled. Throwing his lunch tray against the wall, he took to his feet and tried to take in deep breaths. He was pissed. Pissed off at letting Zim get to him this much, pissed off that- it wasn't supposed to be this hard, he thought he had it under control.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IN ALIENS! I DON'T BELIEVE IN ALIENS!"

His heart begged and tightened. His brain throbbed and debated fiercely with itself. Memories and conflicting logic threatened to turn on its self like an ouroboros serpent.

"I don't believe you."

Dib turned his head and red eyes to the door way. There, was mister Dwicky, not a day older, wearing the same wrinkled shirt as before. His presents seemed to stop all the questions in Dib's head, all the pain and confusion, and redirected it towards the only man who ever tried to help him.

"You… You ASS!" Dib lunged a punch at him, the tears that were swelling in his eyes were pushed out by the force of Dib's momentum and they rolled down his cheeks with new found anger at his old councilor. MrDwicky grabbed Dib's punch with one hand and pulled him into a hug with the other.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through!? We were supposed to be a team!" The anger and hurt filled Dib's voice, it started out quick and blaming, but ended slow and shaky.

"Hey little man, I know everything, I've been watching you. Its ok, I'm here to help. You need to calm down." Dwicky's eyes shifted about. "They're watching too, you can't let them see." He laughed a bit madly and let go of Dib, then took off running away. Dib stood there confused again, but… better. He ran after him, only to lose him the crowd of students when Dwicky ran into the halls.


End file.
